caption, page 7:

 

Theodore J. “Teddy” Messier, Sr. Photo by John D. Ryan

 

A century as a husband, 

father and faithful 

Catholic 

DAYVILLE — The spring in his step may be gone, but the twinkle in his eye is as bright as ever.

Known as “Teddy” to everyone, Theodore J. Messier Sr., was born in Putnam on March 29, 1915. He moved to Westview Health Care Center in Dayville just over a year ago from his long-time home on Addison Street in Putnam.

The life-long Putnam resident will celebrate his 100th birthday March 29, at the Cargill Council 64 Knights of Columbus Home, 64 Providence St. The reception will start at 1:30. All of Teddy’s friends are invited to attend. Joining Cargill Council in 1961, he was the council’s Grand Knight for four years during the 1960s and the council’s treasurer for 39 years after that, stepping down in 2010.  

Even after almost a century, Teddy gives off an air of irrepressible happiness. Here is a man who has taken what he was given and mastered the art of living. He credits his success to his wife and his long and happy marriage.

“The best thing I ever did was marry Lillian,” Messier said, talking about his late wife, who died in 2012, at the age of 94. “I was on the street with the fellahs when I saw Lillian going to (St. Mary’s) church on a Friday afternoon. I told them I was going to go make a date with her. So I went up and told her I’d like to make a date with her for Saturday night. I liked the way she acted. She was truthful.”

Truthfulness. That’s the running theme of Messier’s life. “I always knew it was best to be straight with everyone,” he said.

That first date with Lillian led straight to marriage, on May 30, 1937, followed by work at Pratt and Whitney during WWar II, three children, decades of devotion to his family, his Catholic faith and his community. Teddy and Lillian were happy together for almost 75 years, until her death. He has some advice for husbands trying to get along with their wives:

“It’s just two words, ‘Yes, dear,’” Messier said. “We were lucky; we liked the same things, country music, listening to the Grand Ole Opry, going out together. We were very happy.”

They had three children, Robert, who lives in Ellington, Carol Rodriguez, of Ann Arbor, Mich., and Theodore, Jr., of Putnam, who died in 2012, at age 70. They were devoted parents.

“We always made sure the kids were home at night by 9 o’clock,” he said. “That’s the one thing bothers me about the way the world is now, the way that families have break up so much.”

Messier has had a long and happy life, well lived, but it was not without tragedy. 

“When I was 14, my father was hit by a train and killed at Attawaugan Crossing,” he said. “He was delivering a load of wood in a truck when the train hit him.”  

Eli Messier was killed in February, 1929. Teddy’s brother Anotonio was 16 when he died of appendicitis in 1930. By then, the Great Depression had started the country spiraling downward.

“We had holes in our shoes; it was rough,” Messier said.

After graduating from the former St. Mary’s School, by 1931, he had been attending Putnam High School for two years, but he soon had to quit, to help to support his mother, Antonia, and his remaining four brothers and sisters.

“I was lucky to get my first job when I was 16, at Guertin’s Grocery Store, on School Street,” Messier said.

Eventually, that led to a job in a tea store in Putnam. He was working there when he married. During the war he was a foreman at Pratt and Whitney, where helped to make engines for B-17 Flying Fortress bombers and P-51 Mustang fighter jets. 

“I met a man a little while ago who was part of a B-17 bomber crew. We had a good time talking when I told him I helped build them,” he said.

After the war, Messier drove a truck, first for the former Putnam Laundry on Cleveland Street, and then for the Former Ace Cleaners on Main Street. He retired in 1977.

Life with Lillian was rewarding and eventful, revolving around their children and their strong Roman Catholic faith, as parishioners at St. Mary Church of the Visitation in Putnam. They attended Mass at least once a week, and more often when they could. Lillian served for 24 years as Regent of the Daughters of Isabella’s St. Mary’s Circle 543, headquartered at the parish. Teddy was Cargill Council’s Grand Knight for four of those years, so they often presided together at combined events.

“Our faith in God kept us going,” he said. “The church was always there in my life. I look to God for everything.”

Messier said that he’s lived in an eventful time.

“We still had plenty of horses and buggies when I was a kid,” he said. “There were silent movies. We had crystal radios then, but now we have cell phones in our pockets. We’re up in space. Today we have Buck Rogers for real.”

Resisting clichés, Messier doesn’t have a secret for his long and healthy life. Even so, you could draw some conclusions.

I never had a glass of beer in my life,” he said. “and I never smoked.”

Reflecting on his century on earth, Teddy Messier returned to the subject of truthfulness, the principle which has animated his life.

“Be truthful and everything will come out all right.”

 

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Madeleine Uhler Lake

POMFRET — Madeleine Uhler Lake (“Mad”), 89, of Selah Farm, Pomfret, died March 12, 2015, at home. She was the wife of the late John Marshall Lake.

She was born Dec. 23, 1925, at home in Brooklyn, N.Y., to John Martin Uhler II and Alice Amelia (Nelson) Uhler of that city. 

Mad graduated from Erasmus Hall High School in 1944, and attended Syracuse University. She married her high school sweetheart John on New Year’s Day, 1947, and the couple lived a full and happy married life together, making their home in Montpelier, Vt., Littleton and Concord, N.H., Skaneateles and Syracuse, N.Y., and Old Greenwich and Greenwich until John’s death in 2007. 

Mad spent an active and involved life as wife, mother, and friend, attending Christ Episcopal Church during her Greenwich years. Along with family, swimming was her life’s focus. In her 30s, she participated in the “50-mile Swim-Across” program that participants completed in quarter-mile units. Mad rarely swam less than a mile each evening after a full day of homemaking, and became the first person in Onondaga County, N.Y., to swim the 50 miles. 

Mad worked as a swimming instructor for more than half a century. She was the first female Aquatics Director at the Jewish Community Center in Syracuse, and taught swimming for the Onondaga County American Red Cross with her daughter Lois, and at the YWCA and YMCA in Greenwich. She later became the YM’s Aquatics Director. Mad spent 41 summers teaching water safety to generations of youngsters at the Riverside Yacht Club.

She leaves her sister, Alice (Betty) Hale of Pomfret, with whom she made her home during the last year of her life; by three children, Nina Lake of Albany, Peter Lake (Judith) of Newtown Square, Pa., and Lois Lake Church (Allan) of Meriden; by seven grandchildren (Nathaniel and Josiah Raabe, Joshua, Stephen and Daniel Lake, and Juliane and Victoria Church); and by 11 great-grandchildren, as well as three nieces and two nephews, including Laurence N. Hale of Pomfret Center. She is predeceased by her husband John Marshall Lake, her parents, her brother John III, and her granddaughter Emily Southworth Church.

A service celebrating Mad’s life will take place at noon March 28 at Christ Church, Pomfret. Donations: Lake Pool Fund at the Regional Community YMCA in Putnam, P.O. Box 188, Putnam, CT 06260. Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.

 

Ian Barker

THOMPSON — Ian R. Barker, 67, of Thompson, died March 13, 2015, at the UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester,  after a long illness.

Born Sept. 14, 1947, at home in Thompson, Ian was the son of the late George E. Barker and Adeline Isabel (Tefft) Barker. 

Ian worked for more than 40 years at Colt’s Plastics Company. At home he enjoyed gardening, using his tractor, bird watching and he was an ardent Red Sox fan. He enjoyed collecting stamps and coins until his eyesight deteriorated. 

He leaves a brother, Richard, and two sisters, Gay Choiniere and Thelma all of Thompson; nieces and nephews in the U.S. and the UK. He was predeceased by two brothers, Quenton and Kermit and a sister Elaine Barker Judd

A graveside memorial service will be held later in the spring in the Grove Street Cemetery in Putnam.  Donations: St. Judes Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105-3678. www.stjude.org.  Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam. 

 

Victoria Jolicoeur

PUTNAM — Victoria Shirley (Buschka) Jolicoeur, 90, of Putnam, died March 15, 2015, at the Westview Care Center, Dayville. She was the wife of Raymond “Pic” Jolicoeur. They were married Dec. 1, 1956, in Putnam. He died June 19, 2012.

Born Dec. 21, 1924, in Webster, she was the daughter of Steve and Stella Buschka. Shirley worked for many years at the Danielson Curtain Company. Shirley spent her youth in Webster, moving to Putnam after her marriage. She will be remembered as a kind soul. 

She leaves her children, Denise Tsanjoures (George) of E. Putnam, Ron Jolicoeur of Downers Grove, Ill.; her daughter-in-law Judith Jolicoeur of Downers Grove; grandsons Chris Tsanjoures of Putnam and Jackson Jolicoeur of Downers Grove; siblings, Dolly Sosnowski of Dudley, Julie Dibonaventura of Webster, Hazel Buschka of Webster, Tom Baxter of Webster. She was predeceased by siblings, Michael Buschka, Billy Buschka, Clark Buschka, Leon Buschka, Alice Buschka, Martha Kenneway and Olga Buschka. 

The Funeral was March 21 at Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam, with spring burial in St. Mary Cemetery. Donations: Day Kimball Homemakers, PO Box 632, Putnam, CT 06260. 

 

Donald F. Gauvin Sr.,

Vietnam war vet

COCOA, Fla. — Donald F. Gauvin Sr., 68, of Fairview Ave, died March 5, 2015, at home.  He was the husband of Ann (Menard) Gauvin.  

Born in 1946 in Putnam, he was the son of the late Rosiare Gauvin and Rita (Walters) Burdick. Mr. Gauvin worked as a truck driver for many years. He was a veteran of the Vietnam war serving with the U.S. Navy, and was a former member of the American Legion.

He  leaves his wife Ann; his son Donald Gauvin Jr. and his companion Debbie Medeiros and her daughter Riley of Dudley;  a daughter Jami Perry (Daniel) of Cocoa; cherished friends Heather Moening and Melissa Gauvin whom he thought of as his daughters; a brother Daniel Gauvin of Florida; a sister Cheryl Lemieux of Brooklyn; four grandchildren Craig Gauvin, Rebecca Gauvin, Jeffrey Gauvin, and Veronica Perry. He was predeceased by a son Jeffrey Gauvin and a brother Raymond Gauvin. 

Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. June 25 at St. Joseph Cemetery, N. Grosvenordale. Donations: Hospice of St. Francis, 1250 Grumman Pl., Suite B, Titusville, FL 32780  Burial Valade Funeral Home 23 Main St., N. Grosvenordale. 

 

Robert T. Gilbert

WWII vet

PUTNAM — Robert T. Gilbert, 88, of Battey St., died March 20, 2015, in Matulaitis Nursing Home.  He is the husband of Gloria (Greene) Gilbert.  Born in 1926 in Putnam, he was the son of the late Wilfred and Annabelle (Harrington) Gilbert. 

Mr. Gilbert was a U.S. Navy veteran of WWII.  He worked for the State Highway Department and also for Joy’s Orchard in Woodstock.  He enjoyed fishing, hunting and gardening and was a member of the Albert J Breault VFW.  

In addition to his wife, he leaves his sons; Robert Gilbert (Donna) of Ohio, David Gilbert (Pat) of Putnam, James Gilbert (Debbie) of Dayville, John Gilbert (Patricia) of Dayville, Gary Gilbert (Mary) of Danielson, Dennis Gilbert of Putnam, Timothy Gilbert and his companion John of Manchester, Kevin Gilbert of Eastford, Paul Gilbert (Maryann) of Woodstock, Keith Gilbert (Tory) of Putnam; daughters, Terry Perron (Norm) of Putnam, Cathy O’Connor (Patrick) of New Hampshire, and Cricket Brennan (Bill) of Michigan; brother, Henry Gilbert of Putnam; sisters, Kay Lyons of Leicester, Mass., Pauline Gilbert of S. Killingly, and Leonie Dauphinais of Putnam; 27 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.  He is predeceased by his brothers, James, Wilfred and Bernard “Cookie” Gilbert; and his sister, Mary Szruba. 

The Mass of Christian Burial was March 24 in St. Mary Church of the Visitation, Putnam, with burial with military honors in St. Mary Cemetery.  Donations: St. Mary Church of the Visitation, 218 Providence St., Putnam, CT 06260.  Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam.

 

Catherine Pritchard

POMFRET — Catherine Ann Pritchard, 82, formerly of Pomfret, died at Westview Health Care Center on March 18, 2015. She was born June 6, 1932, in Putnam to William and Margaret (Weekes) Barribeault. 

Cathy attended local schools, graduating from Putnam High School in 1950 and from Annhurst College, Woodstock.  She received a master’s degree from UConn. She was an excellent student and excelled in her studies, majoring in Latin and Spanish.  

After completing her undergraduate work, Cathy began a career in teaching, her life’s mission.  She began teaching at Putnam Catholic Academy and was later hired by Putnam High School. She was loved and respected by students, fellow teachers and parents. Cathy enjoyed working with teenagers and while she set high academic standards, she also knew how to encourage and advise young people.  She happily served as the class adviser to several classes, was often the chaperone at dances and events, and with other teachers organized a number of educational trips to Europe for her students.  

Cathy retired from teaching and later returned to the classroom at Woodstock Academy, where she was a Spanish instructor until 2013.  

She volunteered for the Pomfret Lions’ Balls and the Cotillion Club and loved nothing better than an evening of gliding across the dance floor. 

She was an enthusiastic member of Alpha Delta Kappa, an international honorary organization of women educators.  

Though ADK, she made many deep and lasting friendships. She served on the board of the Putnam Alumni Association for decades.  

A natural leader, Cathy served as chair of the board of Day Kimball Hospital Homemakers and on the board of Performing Arts, where she assisted with ticket sales. 

 She was devoted to Most Holy Trinity Church in Pomfret where she served as a Eucharistic Minister.  

In planning her memorial, Cathy insisted that she wanted to be remembered for the joy she felt in her many friendships. 

She remained in touch with friends from her girlhood thought her entire life. She formed deep bonds with former students, attending their weddings and family events.  David Breault was a special friend.

Cathy formed strong bonds with other teachers. She loved entertaining her ADK sisters, and encouraged and supported other teachers.  Cathy leaves her sister-in-law, Nancy Pritchard Weiss of Pomfret; her sister, Paula Williams of Chaplin; three nieces. She cherished time she got to spend with her forever friend Sandy Protze.

A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:30 a.m. April 25 at Most Holy Trinity Church in Pomfret. Donations: Most Holy Trinity Church, P.O. Box 235, Pomfret, CT 06258; or Regional Community YMCA in Putnam, P.O. Box 188, Putnam, CT. 06260. : Gilman Funeral, 104 Church St., Putnam.

 

Doris L. Soucy

BROOKLYN — Doris L. Soucy, 73, of Brooklyn, died March 23, 2015, at Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam. She was born Dec. 31, 1941, in Danielson, daughter of the late Eugene and Marie (Chabot) Soucy.

Doris was a communicant of St. James Church in Danielson. She loved to spend time with her family and enjoyed their family gatherings. 

Doris enjoyed baking, cooking, reading books and watching her TV shows. She loved animals and her shopping trips to the malls.

She leaves several cousins. She was predeceased by her entire family. 

A Funeral Service will be held at 11 a.m. March 26 at the Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson, with burial in Holy Cross Cemetery Danielson. Visitation is from 9:30 to 11 a.m. March 26. Donations may be made in her name to NECCOG P.O. Box 759, Dayville, CT. 06241.

                                                                                                                                                                               

Alexander 

Wlaszkiewicz Jr. 

WOODSTOCK — Alexander P. Wlaszkiewicz Jr., 77, of Peake Brook Rd., died March 15, 2015, in Port Charlotte, Fla.  He was the husband of the late Lucille Wlaszkiewicz.  Born in 1938 in Putnam, he was the son of the late Alexander and Osilda (Lemieux) Wlaszkiewicz Sr.

Mr. Wlaszkiewicz worked as a maintenance helper at Rogers Corporation for 45 years. He enjoyed playing golf.

He leaves his sister Phyllis Stevens (George) of Brooklyn; his companion, Charlotte Trahan of Putnam; nieces and nephews.  In addition to his wife, he is predeceased by his son, the late Michael “Wazz” Wlaszkiewicz.  

The Mass of Christian Burial was March 20 in The Most Holy Trinity Church, Pomfret, with spring burial in St. Mary Cemetery.  Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam.

 

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Rotary All Stars

At last week’s Ray Brousseau Putnam Rotary Club Senior All Star Shootout, Adam Converse goes for the shot with Ryan Fletcher defending. In the background are Nate Tozzi and Alex Torcoletti and center, Michael Elsey. Courtesy photo.

 

By Ron P. Coderre

During its more than 60 years of hosting boys’ and girls’ basketball games, the storied Putnam High School gymnasium has been the home to many great players and hotly contested games.  With a new gymnasium expected to be constructed for the start of the 2015-2016 hoop season, the place that’s been referred to as “the best place to play a game” will be going into the history books permanently.

As has been customary for more than 20 years, the final games of each basketball season have been the Ray Brousseau Putnam Rotary Club Senior All Star Shootouts.  These contests annually feature male and female hoopsters from the northeastern Connecticut who are concluding their high school basketball careers.

The brainchild of the Putnam Rotary Club, these games were named initially in honor of a long term and loyal Rotarian Raymond Brousseau.  During his lifetime, Mr. Brousseau, who was always a staunch supporter of youth sports, enjoyed assisting the Putnam Rotary Club with these contests. 

Brousseau, who was the owner of the former Church Clothing Co. in Putnam, served the local Rotary Club as its president in 1941 and was awarded a Paul Harris Award for his dedication to the mission of Rotary, which is “Service Above Self.”

In what will go into the history books as a tribute to Brousseau and to the grand old gym, the Rotary boys’ and girls’ games this season were probably the closest and most competitive in the spirited history of the competition.

The players, coaches, Rotarians and the enthusiastic gathering of fans on hand for the two games will always have the memories of these games, the gym and those individuals who were a part of the evening for years to come.  As they sit around the fireside or in their favorite haunts in the future these games are certain to surface and be embellished as the stories are told and re-told in posterity.

Archambault Insurance Pulls Out Last Second Win

Woodstock Academy senior Abby Willis hit a shot from beyond the arc with less than a minute remaining in the girls’ game to lift the Archambault Insurance squad coached by Willie Bousquet to a come-from-behind 39-38 victory over Benpe Consulting of Putnam.  Bousquet, who coached Willis during the regular season, was all smiles following the contest.

“Abby was one of my most competitive players all season.  As the season moved on she developed her entire game including her outside shooting.  I’m happy for her how this game ended,” said Bousquet.

The contest, which was close throughout, saw Archambault Ins. go off at intermission in the lead 19-14.  A strong third stanza by the determined Benpe team, in which they outscored their opponents 15-7, helped them take a 29-26 lead entering the final eight minutes of play.

Led by Willis, who had 10 points in the game, and her Academy teammate Becky Messier who had a team-high 14 points, the Archie’s prevailed.  

Benpe, which was coached by Tourtellotte mentor Carla Faucher, stayed in the game thanks to the hot outside shooting of Tourtellotte’s Allie Ablondi, who was the team’s high-point producer with 14 points.  Four of her baskets came from beyond the three-point arc.  Ablondi’s Tourtellotte teammate, Deanna Lazzara chipped in a dozen and Killingly’s Drew Johndrow added nine. 

Willis was selected as the Most Valuable Player for the Archambault entry, while Ablondi was named MVP of the Benpe squad.

WINY captures high-scoring boys’ contest

Killingly High School’s Owen Guillot saved his hot shooting for the fourth quarter of the boys’ contest as his two three-pointers and twisting layup helped sustain the WINY team, coached by Woodstock Academy mentor Greg Smith to a close 82-74 victory over a feisty Putnam Bank team.

Guillot, who was a mainstay of the Redmen team all season, nailed his two bombs from beyond the arc, when the team needed it most.  Leading 62-52 after three quarters of play WINY withstood a terrific fourth quarter surge by the Bankers that fell just short.

The winning Radiomen, who led 37-31 at halftime, placed five players in double figures.  Guillot, who was named his team’s Most Valuable Player, led three players with 13 points, as he, Putnam’s Nate Lowell and Nick Harrington of Parish Hill all had a baker’s dozen for the winners.  Ryan Fletcher of Ellis Tech contributed 12 points and Putnam Clipper Shawn Audet added 11.

Plainfield’s Steve Jankowski, the Putnam Bank MVP led his squad with 11 points, followed by Adam Converse with 10.  Killingly’s Michael Elsey was the team-high scorer with a dozen.  Three players on the losing team, Dan Lowell and Matt Harmon of Putnam and Ryan Finnigan of Parish Hill, all finished with nine points.  Putnam Bank was coached by Shawn Deary of the Putnam Clippers.

Game Shorts: Both games were aired live on WINY Radio 1350 with John Wilbur providing the play-by-play and Scott Desrosiers adeptly handling the color commentary…Both games were officiated gratis by Eastern Board 8 officials.  Bill Bartholic served as the referee of the three-man crew.  He was teamed with Steve Martel and Zach Putnam…Becky Messier of Woodstock was chosen the WINY game MVP in the lid lifter, while Nate Lowell garnered the radio MVP honor in the nightcap…The Lowell twins, Nate and Dan, teammates in Putnam during the regular season, were pitted against each other in the boys’ game.  Nate had 13 points, while Dan was able to score nine…Putnam Rotary Club President Rande Chmura presented all players with a commemorative as well as presenting the MVP awards following each contest…Putnam tenor Maurice “Moe” Coderre presented a stirring rendition of the National Anthem prior to each contest…Cody Rumrill was the official scorer…The awards presented to each player were sponsored by the Byrnes Agency and Rotarian Jay Byrnes…The halftime shootout, handled by Rotarians Jay Wade and Doug Valentine, was sponsored by The Citizens National Bank…Spotted in the crowd was former Ansonia High School and ex-collegiate football player Roger Ings, who now lives in Canterbury.